Live in the Moment [Dog Wisdom #1]

If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret. —Jim Carrey

Dogs are some of my favorite teachers, imparting wisdom into my life in ways I never thought possible! One of the most cherished lessons I’ve learned from my dogs is to live in the moment. Dogs are masters of mindfulness. In other words, they are aware of their surroundings and what they are doing moment by moment . . . and I believe that they extract the fullest joy from each moment. I think this is what gives them their seemingly carefree spirit.

What is mindfulness? And what are the benefits?Here are a few definitions of mindfulness . . .

“The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary

“Mindfulness is the act of being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment – without interpretation or judgment.” Mayo Clinic

“Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” —Mindful.org

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself…” —Jesus (Mathew 6:34)